I first travelled around the Golden Triangle area by the great Mekong River in 2004. Burma, Laos and Thailand meet at this strategic crossroad in southeast Asia, from where China is less than 300 kilometres away.
The first sight that greeted (and still greets) the traveller is the chain of green mountains on the Laos side of the Mekong. The country north of Thailand has not yet jumped on the development bandwagon and still largely serene.
As I was to find out when I took a boat ride on the Mekong, a lot has changed in the farthest outposts of Laos. For starters, Don Sao is now connected by road to the mainland to make it easier for tourists to come by car all the way from China. The island is also a dumping ground for fake designer bags. Back in 2004, there were hardly any tourists in Don Sao. Now, boatloads make the trip daily for bragging rights about having stepped in another country. Another new phenomenon are the young boys begging for 5 and 10 baht.
The real eyesore in the area is an ugly casino that is being built by a Hong Kong-based businessman. He has apparently leased land in Laos for 99 years and the monstrosity of a casino is an eyesore. The casino's main clientele are Thais who cross over to gamble since this "evil" is illegal in the kingdom. It's sad to see the serenity of the Mekong vanishing and getting replaced by capitalistic greed.
They talk of employment for the people of Laos. Sure! The farmers move up in the global value chain by working as cleaners and security staff in a casino. How lucky they are, indeed!
The first sight that greeted (and still greets) the traveller is the chain of green mountains on the Laos side of the Mekong. The country north of Thailand has not yet jumped on the development bandwagon and still largely serene.
As I was to find out when I took a boat ride on the Mekong, a lot has changed in the farthest outposts of Laos. For starters, Don Sao is now connected by road to the mainland to make it easier for tourists to come by car all the way from China. The island is also a dumping ground for fake designer bags. Back in 2004, there were hardly any tourists in Don Sao. Now, boatloads make the trip daily for bragging rights about having stepped in another country. Another new phenomenon are the young boys begging for 5 and 10 baht.
The real eyesore in the area is an ugly casino that is being built by a Hong Kong-based businessman. He has apparently leased land in Laos for 99 years and the monstrosity of a casino is an eyesore. The casino's main clientele are Thais who cross over to gamble since this "evil" is illegal in the kingdom. It's sad to see the serenity of the Mekong vanishing and getting replaced by capitalistic greed.
They talk of employment for the people of Laos. Sure! The farmers move up in the global value chain by working as cleaners and security staff in a casino. How lucky they are, indeed!
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